Cell cycle analysis of fetal germ cells during sex differentiation in mice.

ABSTRACT:

Background information

Primordial germ cells in developing male and female gonads are responsive to somatic cell cues that direct their sex-specific differentiation into functional gametes. The first divergence of the male and female pathways is a change in cell cycle state observed from 12.5 dpc (days post coitum) in mice. At this time XY and XX germ cells cease mitotic division and enter G1/G0 arrest and meiosis prophase I respectively. Aberrant cell cycle regulation at this time can lead to disrupted ovarian development, germ cell apoptosis, reduced fertility and/or the formation of germ cell tumours.

Results

In order to unravel the mechanisms utilized by germ cells to achieve and maintain the correct cell cycle states, we analysed the expression of a large number of cell

SUBMITTER: Spiller C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2722160 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature